Where Are They Now? Jasmine Rippey ’15

Former two-sport standout Jasmine Rippey embarks on teaching career in South Korea.

The third floor hallway of the athletics department offices showcases some of the great Panthers of recent years.

Adorning one of the walls is a large, framed poster of Jasmine Rippey ’15 on the tennis court.

Rippey won’t soon be forgotten. But her impact was much larger than that photo and her tennis and women’s lacrosse skills, teammates and coaches alike say of the standout student-athlete, who graduated in 2015 with a stellar GPA, and a degree in economics. She also minored in arts management and has hit the ground running in her professional career ever since.

World Traveler

Rippey will be teaching English in Seoul, South Korea starting in February. She said she’s excited and looking forward to starting this “new adventurous chapter in her life.”

The Deansboro, NY native started teaching and coaching kids at a summer camp in the Catskills in 2014. She continued to do that in 2015, too.

In 2016, she nannied and then in 2017 left to backpack around Thailand, Japan, and South Korea for four months—long a dream and aspiration of hers.

After her travels, the former women’s lacrosse captain decided to pursue a path that would allow her to interact with children in an international setting, which led her to apply with Avalon Education—one of the top after-school English education companies in Korea. She will be working with elementary aged kids and is excited to learn a little Korean and eat lots of spicy Korean food, she joked.

“Traveling is in my blood, which is how I knew this position with Avalon Education was right for me,” an elated Rippey said. “My grandparents were missionaries in South Africa, and their tales of inspiring people in other countries gave my mother the courage to travel the world. Now it’s my turn to continue this legacy, and to make a difference in the lives of the students I interact with.”

Teacher on the Field

Rippey made a difference at Purchase. Her former teammates said she was always like a teacher or coach on the field. She was a key member of Purchase’s inaugural women’s lacrosse team, culminating with year three of the program where the Panthers went 11-4 overall and lost in the league semifinals.

The former Panther standout has never lost touch with her teammates. Rippey returned the following spring to honor her former teammates on Senior Day, walking out with longtime friend Annette Elson in 2016.

She is also in the process of organizing an alumni day for the women’s tennis program this spring. Rippey concluded her Panther tennis career with some notable matches, including a 10-2 conference win at No. 2 singles in her final league home contest and then a doubles victory in the spring in her final collegiate match of her career.

As for her professional pursuits, the former Skyline Conference Academic Honor Roll selection is hopeful that this experience in Korea will further her career in coaching and early childhood education.

These career pursuits were seeded in her Purchase experience—both in the classroom and in the athletics realm.

Purchase women’s lacrosse head coach Francesca Levine said Rippey was a pleasure to coach, often inspiring her teammates. “She is reliable, responsible, and always ready to work. It is very rewarding for me as a coach to see her pursuing great things post college, and I am proud to have someone of her character be a part of our Purchase family.”

Levine said Rippey is always “willing to help out, always willing to go the extra mile, and always does everything with a smile on her face,” noting that Rippey made great strides during her Panther career. “She grew into such a smart, strong player,” Levine added. “There was certainly a void the following year without her voice and presence in our defensive end.”

Current lacrosse standout Zoe Hines said Rippey mentored her as an underclassmen. Now a senior herself, Hines says Rippey was a great teacher and friend. “Jasmine was always willing to put others needs before her own.”

Rippey made that message clear on the tennis courts and the lacrosse field as a player at Purchase. And today, she continues to spread that message in her professional endeavors.

“Working with students and seeing their growth personally and academically is always a fulfilling experience, and doing so internationally, through the wall of a language barrier, will be even more inspiring,” Rippey said.

Monthly, Sports Information will report on a former Purchase College student-athlete, coach/administrator, or famous alum and where the world has taken them in a column called “Where Are They Now?”